Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-14
JERUSALEM.
A Visit to the Golden City and q Few
Impressions Made By Personal
Investigation.
An Interesting letter from Dr.. Ira Harris,
a Traveller who has Seen Much of
TIM Holy Land,

List year my visit was during the eastern
festival, and the goings-On of the various
sects is q disgrace to the Christisn world.
We hope TO spend two weeks in quiet
ness, living over the scenes Of the past,
as the greater number Of the pilgrims
hsve departed.
1t is difficult matter to give freshness
to description of Jerusalem, IS every
visitor who has Deen here feels cslled
upon TO give full description Of what he
sees. Before making my first Visit l
read every book I could find on the Holy
| City and I know by my own experience
| how little impression these accounts
make upon the mind, therefore 1 shall at
tempt no description, but merely give
| few impressions, the result Of personal
investigation-in a word, write Of what
have seen.
| The alleys of this city-they do not de-
serve 10 be dignifed by the name OF
streets-are filthy in the extreme, paved
with mud and slime, the various odors
calling to mind Coleridge's description OF
| the city Of Cologne. Dogs iIfest the
place, poor, miserable ours ever ready to
seize anything as food, from a shoe sole
| to a bare bone.
In the small shops that line these alleys
shop-keepers sit cross-legged with an
assortment OF souvenirsl for travellers.
Pearls from the Red sea, cut and pol
ished st Bethlehem, resurrection plants
from Jericho, inlaid sandals, cOmmodiCus
work baskets; strings of beads, seals of
onyx, Jasper, camelisn or agate, with the
Church Of the Resurrection, the Mosque
Of Omar, the five crosses Of the Francis
cans, olive branch, Star OF Bethlehem cut
and painted in Hebrew, with "Jerusa-
Iem," "Mizpah," upon them. Beautiful
fllagree from Damascus, olive or CASTLE
soap perfumed with the spices of Araby:
parafne candles psinted and orha
mented in many designs and colors,
these to be used by the pilgrims
during their visit to the "holy places"
ard in collecting and melting the spray OF
the Holy Sepulchre the day before Easter.
The various sites the guides point out to
| travellers are so absurd that you cannot
think they are meant in seriousness. But
OF all the absurd things to be seen in
Jerusalem, especially to Americans who
have q common sense way of looking at
anything, the Church of the Holy Sepul-
chre is the most staggering. Under it's
roof are shown the Holy Sepul-
chre, Calvary, the stone OF en-
baImment, the hole in the rock
where the cross of our Savior and
of the two indicators stood, the rock
| that marks the center of the earth, the
graves of Adam, Of Melchisedec and that
OF Godfrey, the crusader; the tomb Of
Joseph of Arimethde, the place OF fagel-
lation, Moses rod, the crown of thorns,
and many other things. Though recog-
nizing the absurdity OF ell these relics,
there is feeling OF awe in entering the
building, for whether this is the exact
spot or not, the fact that so large por-
tion of the people Venerate them, checks
scoff1ng, and we are not disposed &c
mock even If we believe the Holy
Sepulchre was outside the gate instead
Of inside this church.
Or entering the church the cold, damp
air causes shiVer; in the rotunda OF the
Holy Sepulchre is erected small rec
tsngular building; about twentY-nine feet
long by seventeen feet wide, along its
sides are number OF pilasters, on them
are hung many pictures wrought in silver
and gold and inlaid with precious stones
scenes from the life of Christ. Here is
also kept supply of colored candles,
large and small, the whole presenting d
strange debased aspect.
The Greek, Armenian and. Latins each
own part of the building and its con-
tents. The entrance proper to the sepul-
chre is through small door. In the
center is the stone the angels rolled awsy
set on pedestal. Many decorated lamps
are hung around put up by the different
sects. Passing through the first room, e
small door about three and half feet
high opens into the "Holy of Holies,"
| the sepulchre itself. There is the
sarcophagus, above is picture of
Christ, on either side is the Virgin and
| st. John. Near the center is suspended
a great number of golden lamps beauti-
fully wrought. During Easter season
crowds are waiting to be admitted, and
IS every one is expected to give "back-
sheesh,n the sum collected must be con-
| siderable.
| 1t is said when the Empress Helena
came here many years ago she caused
men to dig, having been told by dream
that the true cross was buried here. On
digging, two crosses were found. Here
was dilemma, but Catholic ingenuity
was not long at fault. A sick child was
| brought to touch these, the first one
touched yielding no result, but on touch
| ing the other the child was instantly
healed. Behold now the true cross! This
Cross must have been q very large one,
for l have seen enough Of 1t since have
been in Syria to mske several large ones.
| Go where you will in the Holy Land very
| important work is attributed to one of
three persons, Solomon, st. George or
the Empress Helena.
II there are many uncertain sites IN the
city there ares ONE outside its walls that
are so fixed blythe Bible that no tradition
can obscure them. The Mount Of Olives is
the same spot where "a cloud received
J him out Of their sight" We know that
Bethany on the east side OF this sacred
mount is the same village where when
weary snd heertsick over the hardness OF
heart of his people, Jesus went for rest
| to that humble home, whose inmates
were always ready to receive him. We
know that the temple was in the
inclesure now occupied By the Mosque Of
Omar and degraded by Moslem traditions.
There, over against the mosque is the
Mount OF Zion, Of which glorious things
are spoken in the Bible.
To-day we climbed the Mount OF Olives.
passed by the garden of Gethsemsne, Of
the Latins. Last yesr the Greeks found
near the summit the true site? inclosed
it with a high wall, planted trees, which
will soon be large enough to present to
pilgrims as the trees under which our
| Savior spent his last night.